odds and ends XX open, joining

[Bean]

iota

ナインイオタ xx info

iota caught the smell of her onlookers as she tread towards the bramble-enclosed marshy borders of tanglewood. not one, but two. one of them felt... larger in presence; iota scented it first. a shabby stench, but a welcoming one nonetheless. it wasn't a stench that was extreme, to her at least. the other was not as prevalent, but the scent was present nonetheless.
her head craned around the area, scanning the dark swamp-encircled horizon for her newfound acquaintances. she caught the sight of what looked like a large bear, coated with the blood of the swamplands -- as well as what looked like his own -- which approached her, making his massive size well aware to iota. she then caught a glimpse of the second figure, much smaller in comparison to the large beast that made itself known to her. a slim tabby, a she-cat just like her.
[align=center]just like her...?

iota shook her head, trying to clear her mind. now was not the time for her thoughts to run amok. they'd just met. and now was the time to make herself known to her spectators.
she cleared her throat. "hello, there. i call myself nine iota." she oscillated her head slowly towards the two mammals, scanning their facial expressions for any hostility. she plastered a friendly grin on her face, making an attempt to avoid seeming hostile. "call me iota. it's a pleasure to meet you, nayru and zimavich."
if there was one thing in common that she noticed between the two, it was their eyes. they both held a gaze that was fixated on something.
it wasn't eye contact. she knew what they'd been looking at.
she could feel her face heat up. the embarrassment she felt from her new acquaintances looking at the two jagged bone-like structures on her forehead made iota choke up a bit. if any boundaries to her interactions would be made, they may as well have been made there.
"please," she requested quietly, "stop looking at my horns."
she shuddered, her spine having chills sent through like a peregrine cutting through the air, diving at supersonic speeds to chase its defenseless prey. she was already messing this up.
clearing her throat, she continued. "i'd ... i'd like to join tanglewood, yeah. i'm looking for a fresh start."
at this rate she felt she'd be cast out immediately.